ipukespiders
Member
Definitely with cutting (Doesn't help that I'm 48).
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
These long isos in the cold... nothing quite like stretching and toning muscle below freezing temps. 18F and sunny today.
S
Sidney Prescott
Unconfirmed Member
So, the home workout starts tomorrow for me. Even though I'm skinny, I know I'm going to be out of breath like a 2 minutes in. It's been a while since I did anything really strenuous. There are times when I almost miss the bus and that brief run nearly gives me a heart attack. It's those moments that kind of made me realise I could do with working out more. Plus, it will feel good.
No video games, reduced internet usage and working out sounds good to me. About time I formed some better, healthier habits. I don't want to reach my 30's with that regret of not doing stuff sooner.
No video games, reduced internet usage and working out sounds good to me. About time I formed some better, healthier habits. I don't want to reach my 30's with that regret of not doing stuff sooner.
VlaudTheImpaler
tl;dr
Now that they had a tourney (I decided not to go due to my health issues 
) I figured I'd show you guys 2 of the giants I train with.
This is what I have to deal with lol. That's Alex on the right. He's 18 and 340+ pounds. Basically our natty version of Levan. This was the last match of the heavies (they both easily made it to the end) and he won every match that quickly... He's the only person now IRL that when I watch him wrestle, he scares the crap out of me. To see, let alone feel, that much weight and power moving that quickly is a sobering experience. That's "Big Red" on the left. He's former special forces and has won a strong man comp. He's flipping huge. He's the one my son just gaped at because "He looks like a superhero." He's pretty new to high-intensity arm-wrestling though so back before the health issues I was able to take him, barely. I'll find out next practice how badly I've fallen behind.
Speaking of which, time to hit it later sometime today. Gonna curl till my arms fall off.
Tabletop pronation/hammer/normal curls, 3 sets of 100 with 1 set of 50-100 tricep pulldowns after every set.
Kettlebell pronation work, 3 sets of 100 with 1 set of 50-100 supinations after every set.
Tabletop backpressure, knuckle up iso's with the towel wrap. Heavy resistance band load with a goal of at least 1 minute then into a slow negative during failure. 3 sets.
Kettlebell bounce curls till failure and I start crying. Then sitting dips against my couch the same way...
If I feel like it, I just might try hitting my first unassisted pistol squat for both legs. I've been doing them assisted holding onto bands attached to my rings for a while and have been needing less and less assistance every time.
Keep hitting it warriors.
) I figured I'd show you guys 2 of the giants I train with.This is what I have to deal with lol. That's Alex on the right. He's 18 and 340+ pounds. Basically our natty version of Levan. This was the last match of the heavies (they both easily made it to the end) and he won every match that quickly... He's the only person now IRL that when I watch him wrestle, he scares the crap out of me. To see, let alone feel, that much weight and power moving that quickly is a sobering experience. That's "Big Red" on the left. He's former special forces and has won a strong man comp. He's flipping huge. He's the one my son just gaped at because "He looks like a superhero." He's pretty new to high-intensity arm-wrestling though so back before the health issues I was able to take him, barely. I'll find out next practice how badly I've fallen behind.
Speaking of which, time to hit it later sometime today. Gonna curl till my arms fall off.
Tabletop pronation/hammer/normal curls, 3 sets of 100 with 1 set of 50-100 tricep pulldowns after every set.
Kettlebell pronation work, 3 sets of 100 with 1 set of 50-100 supinations after every set.
Tabletop backpressure, knuckle up iso's with the towel wrap. Heavy resistance band load with a goal of at least 1 minute then into a slow negative during failure. 3 sets.
Kettlebell bounce curls till failure and I start crying. Then sitting dips against my couch the same way...
If I feel like it, I just might try hitting my first unassisted pistol squat for both legs. I've been doing them assisted holding onto bands attached to my rings for a while and have been needing less and less assistance every time.
Keep hitting it warriors.
Last edited:
God Enel
Member
had two days off.. due to a busy schedule so I couldnt have a proper workout. Just bits here and there but throughout the day I did max pull-ups as I'm working from home. So I wasnt doing nothing, that's good. Today I'm gonna focus on core and compression strength as well as flexibility and different kinds of pull-ups. I have to get my back stronger and it's a good all around exercise as I cannot do push-ups due to my shoulder without pain.
S
Sidney Prescott
Unconfirmed Member
Did my first workout in years. I'm so out of shape to say I'm skinny, was out of breath like three minutes in. I enjoyed it a lot though. Got the blood pumping. I noticed I slept a bit better too. Perhaps a cause of my insomnia is just not getting tired enough. I think majority of it is anxiety related, but I very rarely feel super tired late at night.
Also had some vegetables yesterday. Did a big grocery shop after selling my PS4 and got a lot of healthy shit to eat. Sick of eating frozen pizzas all the time, as much as I love my unhealthy food.
Going for a jog tomorrow. Might have to put some Rocky music on one of these days.
Also had some vegetables yesterday. Did a big grocery shop after selling my PS4 and got a lot of healthy shit to eat. Sick of eating frozen pizzas all the time, as much as I love my unhealthy food.
Going for a jog tomorrow. Might have to put some Rocky music on one of these days.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Kazekage1981
Member
Have you seen a doctor? Not saying get Viagra or anything but I think it would be a good idea for all men to get a full assessment of everything in there life by a healthcare professional at baseline and decide where to go from there..
Everyone should go to the there doctor to get these lab values (call your health care insurance company to make sure its covered):
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
Complete Blood Count (CBC) with differential if needed
Fasting Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol, Triglycerides)
Thyroid Panel: TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3
Male Sex Hormone Panel: Free Serum Testosterone, FSH, LH, Sex Binding Globulin, Estrogen Level
Adrenal Hormone Panel: Serum Cortisol Level, DHEA Level
Human Growth Hormone Panel: Serum HGH level, IGF-1 Level
HgA1C Level
Vitamin B12 Level
Vitamin D3 Level
PSA Level (For prostate)
In a sense you are throwing a fish net inside your body to see if they catch anything low or unusual. Someone may be feeling depressed and if there is low vitamin D and testosterone levels that could be a strong correlation and gives something objective to work with. You could also be tired and not know why, and your lab tests show low iron levels. So just saying its good to get a good comprehensive assessment. Other assessment includes: Weight, Body fat percentage, blood pressure, heart rate. Your healthcare professional should know.
Hope this helps everyone.
I need a work out partner for motivation. Does anybody wanna join me?
S
Sidney Prescott
Unconfirmed Member
What do you guys eat?
I want to make some more stuff with vegetables and salads.
I want to make some more stuff with vegetables and salads.
ipukespiders
Member
Meat, cheese, eggs, butter, cream, 90% dark chocolate, dark leafy greens, peppers, celery.
Salt, potassium, hot sauce.
ValiantTraveler
Member
Meat: eggs, chicken, turkey, tuna, sardines, meatballs, sausage, liver
Grains: rice, corn
Vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, beans, cabbage, onions
Fruits: bananas, oranges, mandarines, apples
Also cheese, biscuits, cakes and chocolate.
Last edited:
TTOOLL
Member
Maybe he busted too many big nuts lately and his balls are temporarily dry.
TTOOLL any updates on your libido?
I added more fat on my diet, got more sleep last weekend and I’m back to normal. Congrats on my yesterday’s sex.
Edit: that was my first week back to work too, I think I was stressed with so much to do. I’ve now settled down, my schedule is ok and I can train and sleep well.
Last edited:
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Had some fluid in my lungs over the weekend so had to cut my strength training in half. Back to the full thing this morning. Keepings an eye on it as it seems I've got a minor ear infection as well.
Nothing stops this momentum.
Nothing stops this momentum.
S
Sidney Prescott
Unconfirmed Member
I have been seriously missing out on the benefits of a nice early morning jog. It was quiet, the air was fresh and it woke me right up. Will definitely be doing more of that. It's nice going in the morning as my anxiety calms down and I don't worry about people looking at me.
Cutty Flam
Banned
Have been increasing workload and getting back into the swing of things. Shed about 14 lbs since early January, mostly fat, tiny bit of muscle lost as well since I was resting extensively for about 4-5-ish weeks. 205-209 lbs most days now, but my goal is to reach 198-200 lbs in the next two months
angles90.com
Has anybody used a product like this before? The main issue is safety, they claim to hold up to 800 lbs but idk. I’m thinking about buying grips of some kind to be able to perform pullups with a neutral grip. I have wondered recently if too much time under tension with the standard pronated grip while performing all those pullups could have contributed to the inflammation near the joints of my ribs chest area? Either way, some neutral grips are probably the way to go. I’ve got some rings but those things are huge, too big in diameter for how high the pullup bar is
Angles90 - Official Online Shop
Worldwide Shipping - Delivery with tracking - Certified Online Shop
angles90.com
Has anybody used a product like this before? The main issue is safety, they claim to hold up to 800 lbs but idk. I’m thinking about buying grips of some kind to be able to perform pullups with a neutral grip. I have wondered recently if too much time under tension with the standard pronated grip while performing all those pullups could have contributed to the inflammation near the joints of my ribs chest area? Either way, some neutral grips are probably the way to go. I’ve got some rings but those things are huge, too big in diameter for how high the pullup bar is
God Enel
Member
Short update regarding this shit.
Was there and my doctor told me that I had luck. As it seems it is my collarbone. It’s not broken but it was close to being broken. He mentioned a specific word I cannot remember anymore and there is nothing he can do. I just have to wait and with time it’s gonna heal (2 more months). He told me I cannot do anything and I should not lift heavy. It’s crushing as i already had a break of more or less two months. Now two more.
Any tips? I’m already thinking about jogging - but I hate this shit.
I’m gonna become quadzilla 
VlaudTheImpaler
tl;dr
God Enel
Sounds to me like it would be a good idea to work on some tendon strength and vascularity mate. Very low weight and high reps. Build a solid foundation so that injuries are less likely. You'll also keep this kind of strength much longer than the red muscle fiber. You can also work on your grip this way which will directly affect the overall strength of your arms. Bodyweight work for your lower body like the Ido Portal stuff is awesome as well. I'm trying to get my first unassisted pistol squat myself since I can't lift heavy either because the chiro is trying to fix the curve in my back atm.I just had my first day back at arm wrestling practice in 3 months after losing 20 pounds and some red muscle mass (I also just started working out every day again these past two weeks after doing nothing due to the health concerns) and what a day I had. ALL the heavyweights were there. I was able to match with Chris from above today. Everyone else said I hadn't lost any strength and my buddy thinks I've actually gained some. They were all impressed with the card deck I tore and Eddie even signed it. No one else but Eddie can even tear one like it's nothing let alone a whole deck in the box. Felt great. I feel great and injury-free.
Had the visit with the cardiologist and she said my blood panel and heart scan were near perfect (a few irregularities in my heart scan just due to the anxiety). She said that the tightness in my chest most likely wasn't plumbing-related and really could be just from all the physical activity I've been doing leading to my chest growing or expanding with some inflammation due to my psoriasis and it's probably just triggering some anxiety due to my past history with my heart. She's gonna go ahead and give me a CT scan anyway and have me wear a monitor for a day for peace of mind.
As for my stomach, I have been constipated for nearly a week. What I've been putting in definitely ain't coming out. So yesterday I called my mom, (She's an NP) and she told me a laxative recipe that a military doc she works with recommends. Basically turns my butt into a cannon. I took it last night and I was running back and forth to the toilet all evening. I think the blockage has finally moved to my lower intestine so hopefully I only have to load the gun powder one more time. Feel like I'm about to have a kid. Pray for me. I also have an endoscopy and a gut scan next week just to be sure.
Keep hitting it brothers. Never stop. Time for me to sit back, chill and wait for the wonderful soreness of heavy day recovery.
nush
Member
I've just reconnected with a very good old friend and three years ago she got into bodybuilding after putting on loads of weight, I don't recognize her in either the before or after pics. She's in her 40's so if she can get these results it's go to be possible for you younger guys too.
I've got some reading to do so I know what she'll be talking about and be able to keep up.
I've got some reading to do so I know what she'll be talking about and be able to keep up.
Jasonadream
Member
I've just reconnected with a very good old friend and three years ago she got into bodybuilding after putting on loads of weight, I don't recognize her in either the before or after pics. She's in her 40's so if she can get these results it's go to be possible for you younger guys too.
I've got some reading to do so I know what she'll be talking about and be able to keep up.
Awesome.
I personally believe in how you want to feel.
Waking up late, feeling slow, weak and jumping into a bottle of whatever to wash away the mentioned feelings.
In contrast to
Wake up early, building a foundation of strength, building on weakness and jumping into a new movement.
There’s a lot of ways to plan it out, but the most important thing is to start it.
Cutty Flam
Banned
Walking and swimming are great in most cases. In your case though, maybe just staying in the semi-shallow spots to 5 ft deep area and performing some leg and core exercises that limit moving your upper body. Full on swimming or even treading might cause some pain and discomfort so that stuff might have to wait. But even just walking comfortably at your preferred pace in a swimming pool, about 4-5 feet deep, for about 30-60 minutes is going to keep you in the game. A plethora of benefits to be reaped; all from just casual walking in a swimming pool. You’re still working nearly all your muscles and nearly all other systems as wellShort update regarding this shit.
Was there and my doctor told me that I had luck. As it seems it is my collarbone. It’s not broken but it was close to being broken. He mentioned a specific word I cannot remember anymore and there is nothing he can do. I just have to wait and with time it’s gonna heal (2 more months). He told me I cannot do anything and I should not lift heavy. It’s crushing as i already had a break of more or less two months. Now two more.
Any tips? I’m already thinking about jogging - but I hate this shit.
Here’s kind of a funny story. I too fractured my clavicle before, my left collar bone in the third grade. I beat my bro in a game of handball on the old garage wall of our house (played with a rubber ball, not an actual handball) and it was getting very competitive, I think this final game was the tie-breaker. And when I had won I guess I gloated and kicked the ball in his face? or threw the ball in his face? I vaguely remember that detail but I did do something to showboat after the fact with the ball and he got pissed for once in his life and acted on it. Tried to throw me down to the ground on our sloped lawn but he couldn’t so he tripped me with his feet and next thing I knew I heard a crunch and couldn’t get up because the pain was radiating too sharply from my left side. Was young, so it healed before I knew it, but I was in a sling for a few weeks. And I think it did take a couple months even as a kid so that time frame your doctor laid out for you is probably accurate
Not being able to lift is boring, but as long as you find some exercises you can handle that don’t aggravate the area you’ll be good
Raven117
Member
Thanks for posting. This is awesome.
As a little update for me, I’m two months into “trim a bit of my soft gut” and be more all around athletic. (I’m by no means big (I’m tall so it’s easy to hide) but I’m a little skinny fat and had gotten a little soft around my mid-section with covid).
today, realized I’m down two notches on my belt loop and my clothes are fitting in better. Feel pretty good about myself today.
Last edited:
Raven117
Member
Man, sorry to hear this.Short update regarding this shit.
Was there and my doctor told me that I had luck. As it seems it is my collarbone. It’s not broken but it was close to being broken. He mentioned a specific word I cannot remember anymore and there is nothing he can do. I just have to wait and with time it’s gonna heal (2 more months). He told me I cannot do anything and I should not lift heavy. It’s crushing as i already had a break of more or less two months. Now two more.
Any tips? I’m already thinking about jogging - but I hate this shit.
a little biking a little running won’t be so bad. Mix in some core. And perhaps some body weight stuff if you can handle it. And you will be ready to rock and roll when you go ham in the gym in a few month
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Boom. This is what it is all about. Much respect on the progress!
God Enel
Member
Thank you guys for the tips.
I'm not that much into running and cycling sucks ass when you live in a city and I dont have a bike. Though I'm thinking about buying some shoes for running. Has any1 tips for some good running shoes that are not too expensive as I don't want to invest much into shoes that I'm only going to use (or not) during this time.
VlaudTheImpaler
that's some good shit. Don't know why that didn't came to my mind and I'm always reading your post. Seems I was brain afk. I'll work for sure on my grip-strength and in the low weight high rep range. Can work on my shrimp / sissy squat, as I'm doing pistol squats fairly easy + flexibility. Not sure if there are any exercises I can do for my triceps that dont require my shoulder/clavicle.. I'm open for new exercises. I'm not even sure if I'm "allowed" to do mountain climbers.. shit's complicated af
I'm not that much into running and cycling sucks ass when you live in a city and I dont have a bike. Though I'm thinking about buying some shoes for running. Has any1 tips for some good running shoes that are not too expensive as I don't want to invest much into shoes that I'm only going to use (or not) during this time.
VlaudTheImpaler
that's some good shit. Don't know why that didn't came to my mind and I'm always reading your post. Seems I was brain afk. I'll work for sure on my grip-strength and in the low weight high rep range. Can work on my shrimp / sissy squat, as I'm doing pistol squats fairly easy + flexibility. Not sure if there are any exercises I can do for my triceps that dont require my shoulder/clavicle.. I'm open for new exercises. I'm not even sure if I'm "allowed" to do mountain climbers.. shit's complicated af
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I picked up the UA Charged 3 based on the review from the Wirecutter. They work well for me. Though, when I replace them, I will probably buy up and get some Salomons.
How to Choose the Best Running Shoes for You
The best shoes for you are the ones you won’t think about much once you’re on the road. Finding them may involve trial and error. Here’s how to get started.
www.nytimes.com
mcjmetroid
Member
Feeling pretty down today.
Still feel like I have that skinny fat look. Despite dropping a decent bit of weight. I still have the love handles.
Kinda in a crossroads now. I don't want to keep losing weight and end up where I started which is just incredibly thin with a belly.
I tried the calorie deficit and heavy weights workout but I always seem to have a belly.
Now I could been very hard on myself. I did quite smoking in the last few weeks so that's pretty great.
Still feel like I have that skinny fat look. Despite dropping a decent bit of weight. I still have the love handles.
Kinda in a crossroads now. I don't want to keep losing weight and end up where I started which is just incredibly thin with a belly.
I tried the calorie deficit and heavy weights workout but I always seem to have a belly.
Now I could been very hard on myself. I did quite smoking in the last few weeks so that's pretty great.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Have you tried intermittent fasting by chance? Rather than restrict calories, restrict the timeframe you can eat.
More info here:
The challenge of all this stuff is it takes consistency over a long period of time. It's hard to be at 100% every day or even 60%. Having some goals you can use as minimum threshold to hit every single day, it can keep you going even during periods of lull. My min thresholds are set by my Apple Watch targets + IF (absolute min is 12 hours during travel; most days it's 18 hours - 22 hours).
Last edited:
Jasonadream
Member
Slow and steady.
You hear it all the time but that’s how you get there.
Can’t wake up feeling like a champ all the time.
Use that self loathing to fuel your psyche to and take action.
When I feel like I’m starting to accumulate a belly, I drop prolonged sitting and stand while I work and mix in some kettlebell work.
when you take your coffee take it black, because the world is a bitter place. (And as an added bonus it’s a diuretic so you get to flush your system out quicker)
Health Benefits of Black Coffee
Find out what nutrients are in black coffee and how it can help everything from depression to Parkinson’s disease.
www.webmd.com
Raven117
Member
Thanks! It feels really good to put in the work, stick with it for months, then (what seems like all of a sudden), BOOM, you start to realize some of your goals (as humble as mine are).
Hope everyone out there that kicked it back into gear after the New Year is starting to see some results!!!! Actually, lets, ask....How is everyone doing? How is everyone feeling about it?
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
Trying to squeeze the most out of the remaining weeks of cold weather. Skin/fat loss have been above expectations, and my routines keep progressing into higher weights, longer holds, more complex moves, etc. Like you said, just keeping at it for month after consecutive month, seeing payoffs in slices across the time period.
How are your own goals?
Raven117
Member
NICE! Good to see you are seeing results as well.
Yeah, I'm happy with my results so far. I know there are plateaus (which I have hit before), but for my purposes of just losing a little bit of that softness around the mid-section due to Covid (and admittedly some because of my age), and being overall athletic, I'm very pleased with my progress. My "beach bod" days are long gone, so just feeling good, looking trim is what I'm after.
Last edited:
Raven117
Member
Congrats on quitting smoking! Thats not an easy thing to do.
First, you need to be honest about your body type. For me, I carry the majority of my fat around my belly and waist (Im not alone here either). Some dudes, carry fat in other places and they can pop out a six pack much faster than I can. My belly fat is the last to go. (I don't know how skinny you really are). As such, I know that to get down to a six back or so, I have to train way harder than Im committed to doing. I tried it. Got it. And was absolutely miserable. So just take very real stock at your body and see what goals you can achieve given your time and dedication.
Depending on how skinny you are, you may have to actually go the other way for awhile. In other words, eat calories in excess and actually bulk up. Then, run the deficit and cut down.
Or, you can really start working in HIIT, higher rep type work outs that work out your whole body that lifts your heart rate and will wind you. With you stopping smoking, these works may feel much better to you. Maybe try this for awhile and see if you have to do the whole "bulk up" / "cut down" thing.
Raven117
Member
A good pair of running shoes will likely run you about 100 bucks. Do you have a good running store where you are from? Because some people run different, someone that can help fit your shoes really is important. Do you pronate? Neutral strike? Like cushion? Minimal cushion?
I don't like acics myself as I think they are too cushiony. I run in Brooks' Ghost, but that is just me. You may be totally different.
Really, just start short distances. And don't pass judgment on running until you are up to about 3 miles. Anything less, your second wind comes too late, and it feels like you are running away from someone the whole time.
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
Quitting cigs is a great milestone. And you can build on that as your lungs heal and strengthen. Fitness is all about oxygen delivery, and you just unsaddled your heart, lungs, and vasculature from a huge burden. I'd recommend daily breathing routines, nothing extreme, but be intentional about it and begin building up that lung health again. This will build your diaphragm which will help you reach your goal of ripped abs instead of a belly.
Keep at it. Every little improvement is a piece of attaining the end-result that you want.
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
Guys, I may have a quite stupid question but I gotta ask it anyway. Found it real hard to get any info on this via Google.
When you lift weights, do you knowingly and intentionally squeeze and put tension in the effected muscle before you even start the lift and then also during the entire lift? Sort of like squeezing it additionally to the tension that the weight automatically puts in your muscles when you lift it.
I've been thinking a lot lately on where my training went of rails in the past couple of years and this issue was just going through my head as I've just started my new abs regiment where I constantly keep my abs contracted hard before and during the entire excerises - and even throughout the day. So, should this not apply to all muscles in a similar way?
Thing is, I got super soft muscles by nature and I do not think they get the needed tension they need by just lifting the weight. I have to tense them on my own... or at least I think. I'm not sure. Yesterday I was doing some lifts for my back with the kettlebell here and my shoulder started to hurt again. So this issue went through my head and I tried again, but this time putting tension in my arm even before the lift and also gripping the kettlebell real hard.... I had no more pain in the shoulder during the lift.
For the past 1-2 years (even before Covid) I had the feeling that I simply do not progress as much as I should. I mean, I did have strength gains but my muscles didn't seem to follow suit. Hell, I had a couple of guy say to me that I am pretty strong for such a thin guy. And yeah, they are right. I was lifting a lot more than many of the bulkier guys. I should have much more meat on my bones. I HAD much more muscles once while not being a lot stronger. Could this be it? Would also explain issues like the one I have with my shoulder because my guess is that, since the muscles to not take all the weight, too much of it is taken by my joints.
When you lift weights, do you knowingly and intentionally squeeze and put tension in the effected muscle before you even start the lift and then also during the entire lift? Sort of like squeezing it additionally to the tension that the weight automatically puts in your muscles when you lift it.
I've been thinking a lot lately on where my training went of rails in the past couple of years and this issue was just going through my head as I've just started my new abs regiment where I constantly keep my abs contracted hard before and during the entire excerises - and even throughout the day. So, should this not apply to all muscles in a similar way?
Thing is, I got super soft muscles by nature and I do not think they get the needed tension they need by just lifting the weight. I have to tense them on my own... or at least I think. I'm not sure. Yesterday I was doing some lifts for my back with the kettlebell here and my shoulder started to hurt again. So this issue went through my head and I tried again, but this time putting tension in my arm even before the lift and also gripping the kettlebell real hard.... I had no more pain in the shoulder during the lift.
For the past 1-2 years (even before Covid) I had the feeling that I simply do not progress as much as I should. I mean, I did have strength gains but my muscles didn't seem to follow suit. Hell, I had a couple of guy say to me that I am pretty strong for such a thin guy. And yeah, they are right. I was lifting a lot more than many of the bulkier guys. I should have much more meat on my bones. I HAD much more muscles once while not being a lot stronger. Could this be it? Would also explain issues like the one I have with my shoulder because my guess is that, since the muscles to not take all the weight, too much of it is taken by my joints.
Last edited:
Cutty Flam
Banned
It's all about adding more and more little by little as you go along. Trying new exercising and becoming very efficient at performing them. And IMO, picking at least a couple to a few staple lifts and mastering them. If you continue down the path and stay consistent you won't even be the same person in a year. The most important thing is putting a lot of effort into your program and staying consistent. The transformation will come with consistency and dedication towards your training and your recovery
What's your typical diet and routine look like from week to week? Those are two crucial aspects to think about on a weekly basis and try to perfect more and more as you go along
And it's perfect that you quit smoking too, that is going to help tremendously. A perfect start because losing fat and packing on muscle or gaining strength or whatever attributes in fitness that you're shooting for, IMO it takes a lifestyle to achieve. Those recommending IF are on point, it can lead to significant fat loss over time. But if you're already somewhat thin and just have some fat to lose, you might just need to play around with your diet a bit, tighten your program some, as well as increase your overall activity throughout the day to help with the fat loss. It'll melt off in time if you have your mind set towards optimizing your programs to achieve consistent progressive overload. The goal is to get slightly better in each exercise every time you perform it, if you can do so safely. As long as you are doing that, continuing to stay active and on your feet most days participating in things that will contribute to fat loss (skating, dancing, sports, lifting, walking, etc.) and you find a diet plan that works for you according to your fitness goals, then everything should fall into place within the year for you most likely
Cutty Flam
Banned
JimmyRustler
long post incoming, later half should help some with your wanting to gain muscle massEvery time I perform a lift, I brace my entire core to ensure proper spinal alignment. It doesn't matter which exercise, I do this with every single exercise to some degree. Even walking, which is in a all the time thing, I make sure to keep proper posture and at all times and move as I should. But for your question, to give another example that I think is closer to what you're trying to figure, I will describe how I approach dumbbell chest presses. My goal has always been muscle hypertrophy just bigger muscles so my points of emphasis are a bit different in comparison to someone who wants to train for endurance, strength, or power for instance but this is how I perform the lift to strictly gain more muscle. Before I even perform one strenuous rep of course, I am warmed up properly, but for a working set, before I even perform the rep I know in my mind that a lot of mental effort must be dedicated towards focusing that I perform all the cues to perfection - every single one of them. This will allow me to work the muscles as I deliberately aim to train them, which is strictly for hypertrophy. I generate a great deal of tension in my chest before I even begin to move the dumbbells much; basically flexing hard before I even decide to push through the concentric phase of the movement. As I begin to move the weights, I further increase the tension in my muscles being used in my chest, and squeeze even harder with those muscles if that makes any sense. During the eccentric phase of the movement (lowing of the weights) I purposely slow my tempo down at least a couple of seconds, keeping it extremely controlled and steady while trying to keep as much tension as I can still within the muscles. Before I ever fully get a second's rest I am beginning the concentric phase of the second rep, slow eccentric after that, repeating. I am constantly braced throughout this entire set, all cues are being run through my mind and I constantly make adjustments throughout the set to maintain perfect form as much as I can during said set, tension produced within my muscles is high all throughout the set, and time under tension is kept very high since the goal is hypertrophy
I do the same as you with abs exercises, always contracting everything and remembering to breathe. Same with walking, except I contract everything in a much more relaxed way almost as if I am barely doing so since walking is an all day activity and it would be tiresome and detrimental to forcefully contract your abs all day. I used to do that, thinking it would lead to stronger abs. But forcefully contracting your abs and walking around with the stomach tucked in all day caused me pain near the ribs, an overworked transversus abdominus, and sometimes even it felt like I injured my abdominal muscles near the ribs
Your shoulder could have been rounded during the lift at some point(s) maybe and that could have potentially caused the pain. It could have been that you weren't gripping the kettlebell firmly enough or as tightly as you should be as well. It could be a lot of things. But in the past, those were two things that caused me trouble and some pain in the past: bad form (rounding of the shoulders slightly on some reps performed) as well as using a more relaxed grip which was a mistake several times I'm sure, in my case at least
You can gain a lot of muscle and not really be all that strong or vice versa; it's all depending on how you train. Just briefly though, TUT (time under tension) is your friend if muscle gain is what you're after. A lot of lengthy negatives or eccentric portion of each movements will help as well. Sometimes I would even set my tempo to a very taxing 7-0-2-0 or 7-0-1-0 to achieve my goals. For my triceps to grow I needed a hell of a lot of effort going into those negatives because for some reason they had a tough time growing without that kind of excessive stimuli. Maybe you need to start focusing more on negatives as well, it could be that. But usually I never sweated it, I kept time under tension well past 60 seconds most sets and that was enough to ensure growth. It's killer, but it's the way to go if you want to pack on some size / muscle. Try focusing on keeping each set you perform lasting 60-90 seconds for a while, that's sure to pack on some muscle. To reach that much time under tension (TUT) you'll no doubt be putting a lot of time into your negatives, which is supposedly going to tear down 40% more tissue than the concentric phase of a movement according to this one doctor I knew. And if that's true, then it'll equate to thicker muscle fibers. Try looking into that kind of training if you haven't already. I know with me, my arms, neck, traps, and forearms have to be absolutely massacred if I am to see any muscle gains. I worked like a fucking maniac in the gym for years to grow my chest, back, and legs towards the physique I am trying to achieve
To get a massive chest, it took a ton of grinding. So many reps of dips, constant pushups, dumbbell bench press from all angles. Sometimes I had to work solely my chest for 45-60 minutes if I wanted to see any gains. That's WITH the entire session being filled with lengthy negatives as well. I had to murder my chest with negatives in the form of negative pushups and db presses for at least 45 min every time. Until my arms wouldn't work and I knew my joints were about to fail me. Used to knock out sets after basketball. Used to perform sets during breaks. When I decided I wanted to grow my lats a great deal more around about 2013, I would perform DB rows and pullups and the negatives were just grueling. During the rows, I would sometimes shoot for 15-20 reps in a set, each with at least a 4-5 second negative. For as many sets as I could do which was usually around 6-8 sets each side. The bench and area were covered in pools of sweat, the entire bench was fucking slippery, I left the area not even being able to see straight because I was constantly straining for more and more TUT and the sweat was obliterating my eyes after 30-40 minutes of that. I built my legs with the same principles, a ton of work performed and a lot of time under tension. My warm up was typically cardio for 20-30 min, about 100-200 lunges again with a crazy amount of TUT, then I'd either perform more lunges with weights, leg press heavy, or squat. Add to that, I stayed active in basketball, walked a ton, would run a bit each week, sometimes I'd sprint if my schedule allowed for the proper amount of recovery time and I didn't have any strenuous leg workouts at least a couple of days beforehand. Same with growing the calves, it took constant tension. Used to work on those fuckers for like 15 minutes taking them straight to hell every single set. Long, grueling sets with 15-25 reps as heavy as they could comfortably move through the full ROM in a highly controlled fashion. Training for muscle gain is all about the mind muscle connection and what you bring to the table to fry your muscles into oblivion
It's all something you put together and keep shooting towards with a relentless attitude IMO, gaining muscle takes a hell of a lot of motivation and work but it basically boils down to TUT and desire how bad you want it and are willing to stay in that discomfort rep after rep set in set out, workout after workout, and finding the motivation to put everything you have into your recovery with excellent meal planning and rest and what not. Prolonged negatives, upwards to seven seconds each rep, are a game changer and should get the job done if you want to pack on muscle. Negatives + 50-90 seconds TUT each set is bound to work for most when it comes to hypertrophy
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
Thanks for the lengthy reply. I read it all.
Every time I perform a lift, I brace my entire core to ensure proper spinal alignment. It doesn't matter which exercise, I do this with every single exercise to some degree. Even walking, which is in a all the time thing, I make sure to keep proper posture and at all times and move as I should. But for your question, to give another example that I think is closer to what you're trying to figure, I will describe how I approach dumbbell chest presses. My goal has always been muscle hypertrophy just bigger muscles so my points of emphasis are a bit different in comparison to someone who wants to train for endurance, strength, or power for instance but this is how I perform the lift to strictly gain more muscle. Before I even perform one strenuous rep of course, I am warmed up properly, but for a working set, before I even perform the rep I know in my mind that a lot of mental effort must be dedicated towards focusing that I perform all the cues to perfection - every single one of them. This will allow me to work the muscles as I deliberately aim to train them, which is strictly for hypertrophy. I generate a great deal of tension in my chest before I even begin to move the dumbbells much; basically flexing hard before I even decide to push through the concentric phase of the movement. As I begin to move the weights, I further increase the tension in my muscles being used in my chest, and squeeze even harder with those muscles if that makes any sense. During the eccentric phase of the movement (lowing of the weights) I purposely slow my tempo down at least a couple of seconds, keeping it extremely controlled and steady while trying to keep as much tension as I can still within the muscles. Before I ever fully get a second's rest I am beginning the concentric phase of the second rep, slow eccentric after that, repeating. I am constantly braced throughout this entire set, all cues are being run through my mind and I constantly make adjustments throughout the set to maintain perfect form as much as I can during said set, tension produced within my muscles is high all throughout the set, and time under tension is kept very high since the goal is hypertrophy
I do the same as you with abs exercises, always contracting everything and remembering to breathe. Same with walking, except I contract everything in a much more relaxed way almost as if I am barely doing so since walking is an all day activity and it would be tiresome and detrimental to forcefully contract your abs all day. I used to do that, thinking it would lead to stronger abs. But forcefully contracting your abs and walking around with the stomach tucked in all day caused me pain near the ribs, an overworked transversus abdominus, and sometimes even it felt like I injured my abdominal muscles near the ribs
Your shoulder could have been rounded during the lift at some point(s) maybe and that could have potentially caused the pain. It could have been that you weren't gripping the kettlebell firmly enough or as tightly as you should be as well. It could be a lot of things. But in the past, those were two things that caused me trouble and some pain in the past: bad form (rounding of the shoulders slightly on some reps performed) as well as using a more relaxed grip which was a mistake several times I'm sure, in my case at least
You can gain a lot of muscle and not really be all that strong or vice versa; it's all depending on how you train. Just briefly though, TUT (time under tension) is your friend if muscle gain is what you're after. A lot of lengthy negatives or eccentric portion of each movements will help as well. Sometimes I would even set my tempo to a very taxing 7-0-2-0 or 7-0-1-0 to achieve my goals. For my triceps to grow I needed a hell of a lot of effort going into those negatives because for some reason they had a tough time growing without that kind of excessive stimuli. Maybe you need to start focusing more on negatives as well, it could be that. But usually I never sweated it, I kept time under tension well past 60 seconds most sets and that was enough to ensure growth. It's killer, but it's the way to go if you want to pack on some size / muscle. Try focusing on keeping each set you perform lasting 60-90 seconds for a while, that's sure to pack on some muscle. To reach that much time under tension (TUT) you'll no doubt be putting a lot of time into your negatives, which is supposedly going to tear down 40% more tissue than the concentric phase of a movement according to this one doctor I knew. And if that's true, then it'll equate to thicker muscle fibers. Try looking into that kind of training if you haven't already. I know with me, my arms, neck, traps, and forearms have to be absolutely massacred if I am to see any muscle gains. I worked like a fucking maniac in the gym for years to grow my chest, back, and legs towards the physique I am trying to achieve
To get a massive chest, it took a ton of grinding. So many reps of dips, constant pushups, dumbbell bench press from all angles. Sometimes I had to work solely my chest for 45-60 minutes if I wanted to see any gains. That's WITH the entire session being filled with lengthy negatives as well. I had to murder my chest with negatives in the form of negative pushups and db presses for at least 45 min every time. Until my arms wouldn't work and I knew my joints were about to fail me. Used to knock out sets after basketball. Used to perform sets during breaks. When I decided I wanted to grow my lats a great deal more around about 2013, I would perform DB rows and pullups and the negatives were just grueling. During the rows, I would sometimes shoot for 15-20 reps in a set, each with at least a 4-5 second negative. For as many sets as I could do which was usually around 6-8 sets each side. The bench and area were covered in pools of sweat, the entire bench was fucking slippery, I left the area not even being able to see straight because I was constantly straining for more and more TUT and the sweat was obliterating my eyes after 30-40 minutes of that. I built my legs with the same principles, a ton of work performed and a lot of time under tension. My warm up was typically cardio for 20-30 min, about 100-200 lunges again with a crazy amount of TUT, then I'd either perform more lunges with weights, leg press heavy, or squat. Add to that, I stayed active in basketball, walked a ton, would run a bit each week, sometimes I'd sprint if my schedule allowed for the proper amount of recovery time and I didn't have any strenuous leg workouts at least a couple of days beforehand. Same with growing the calves, it took constant tension. Used to work on those fuckers for like 15 minutes taking them straight to hell every single set. Long, grueling sets with 15-25 reps as heavy as they could comfortably move through the full ROM in a highly controlled fashion. Training for muscle gain is all about the mind muscle connection and what you bring to the table to fry your muscles into oblivion
It's all something you put together and keep shooting towards with a relentless attitude IMO, gaining muscle takes a hell of a lot of motivation and work but it basically boils down to TUT and desire how bad you want it and are willing to stay in that discomfort rep after rep set in set out, workout after workout, and finding the motivation to put everything you have into your recovery with excellent meal planning and rest and what not. Prolonged negatives, upwards to seven seconds each rep, are a game changer and should get the job done if you want to pack on muscle. Negatives + 50-90 seconds TUT each set is bound to work for most when it comes to hypertrophy
The thing is that, at least I think, I am doing most things right but my body just isn't following as it should. My diet is very good and clean and has been for years and my training is extremely intense. Last year during the first lockdown I was doing some crossfit training with my (then) girlfriend and let me tell you it was killer. It was so crazy that she got seizures after like 3 weeks and had to stop. I did that shit for two months straight, almost every day. I would barely be able to stand straight in the office, then go home, drink some pre workout and then do the training... But here's the thing.... While she was seeing massive progress because of the training it was doing almost nothing to me physically. I mean, my workouts got even harder as time went but my muscles weren't really growing. It was like I was training my mind and that is also where the "gains" were made. Like my mind was getting stronger and doing the heavier lifting and my body itself had little to do with it. I know this may sound incredibly stupid but this is just how it feels to me.
So what I want is to get my muscles back into the training. Your explaination gave me new thoughts and also confirms my concern about form and tension. I really hope that this will fix my problem. I feel like I already have made some strides in the right direction because my glutes seem to be growing from all the goblet squatting (I'm at 300 every Saturday now) but there is no way for me to know for sure before the gyms reopen. Fuck man, if nothing else I want my muscles to grow to support my damaged shoulder joints and ease the issues. I know the damage is there and I know it's not going away but I also know that by stronger muscles the joints are supported and the pain eased. But I can't do that right now because.... well, the fuck do I know... Like I said, I'm getting stronger but not bigger. I think everyone here can only imagine the frustration.
I think I might just have the worst possible genetics for this sport.
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
JimmyRustler
this is coming from a big dude for what it's worth, but you sound pretty athletic as it is. On the topic of tension in your abs and controlling the specific tension and contraction of your muscles... that is next level. Keep fine-tuning that and exploring that brain-muscle connection. I would recommend a breathing routine that teaches you how to "breathe behind the shield" to strengthen your diaphragm/abs. Your full-body strength "anchors" to the core, which is more stable when it is inflated with air.
Even at your max weight, a given movement is really only using 20-30% of the muscle fiber anyway. Red muscle tires easily. The body WILL NOT RECRUIT all of a muscle at once, by design. It will reserve strength and refuse to fully engage, knowing that you might need to use the muscle later in the day. Your limbs might be on fire and your lungs might be huffing and puffing, but underneath the skin you didn't tire out your muscles at all. Rather, maybe your heart and lungs are unable to keep up with your current muscle fiber, and now your brain is sending you all kinds of hollow signals to prevent you from continuing! This is a well-known and well-documented phenomenon.
The brain controls the biology. The biology follows the brain at a delayed pace. Technically, the biology follows the brain's hormone signals. If you are improving your brain's ability to control the muscle (as you said "my mind was getting stronger and my body itself had little to do with it") then you are already on the right track. The aim is still to exert the muscle, though. Your brain still needs to receive the signal "these muscle fibers not only worked today, but I recruited too many fibers for too much weight for too much time, so I need to send in some backup" repeatedly over the course of months/years. It takes a lot of dedication and intelligence to keep that "signal" strong which is why so many people resort to coaches and training-regimens and so forth.
In your case, it sounds like a lot of the muscle is already present in the body to perform the moves you are telling it to perform. Instead of building new muscle, your exercise routines are telling your brain to shift attention to this muscle group, and then that muscle group, but you're really only gaining a stronger connection to the muscle tissue you already have (not bad, in and of itself) instead of maxing out this muscle tissue and forcing the brain to call in reinforcements (hypertrophy). Maybe you're huffing and puffing, maybe your face is going red from all the exertion, but under the skin is what matters. If the muscle isn't getting pushed beyond its limits, it won't grow.
Your athleticism seems pretty malleable, which means your body is likelier to recruit full-body strength instead of needing to build more tissue at a specific site, holding back your muscle gains. Injured joints will prevent you from moving to higher weights, stalling your "progressive overload".
On the plus side, your athleticism seems pretty malleable, which is a great asset. It makes sense that you would breeze through crossfit without too much trouble.
Exercise is just simulation for the body. Ideally we would all be jacked from tracking animals and quarrying stone, but alas. Sounds like your simulation is too easy. Start a new save, no New Game+ bonuses, and load up on a higher difficulty. I'd recommend more time under tension via isometrics at lower weights (since you mentioned shoulder pain), like holding out a 5 pound weight for 30 seconds at various degrees, and then gradually increasing that weight to 10, then 15, over the course of several months. Building up the supporting muscles to overcome joint weaknesses will allow you to load yourself up with heavier weights and get back on the traditional "progressive overload" weightlifting regimen.
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
Dun, as always your profound input is highly appreciated. Your nutrition advice was golden and ever since attuning it along your tipps my digestion has improved immensely. Thanks again for that.
On the topic of tension in your abs and controlling the specific tension and contraction of your muscles... that is next level. Keep fine-tuning that and exploring that brain-muscle connection. I would recommend a breathing routine that teaches you how to "breathe behind the shield" to strengthen your diaphragm/abs. Your full-body strength "anchors" to the core, which is more stable when it is inflated with air.
Even at your max weight, a given movement is really only using 20-30% of the muscle fiber anyway. Red muscle tires easily. The body WILL NOT RECRUIT all of a muscle at once, by design. It will reserve strength and refuse to fully engage, knowing that you might need to use the muscle later in the day. Your limbs might be on fire and your lungs might be huffing and puffing, but underneath the skin you didn't tire out your muscles at all. Rather, maybe your heart and lungs are unable to keep up with your current muscle fiber, and now your brain is sending you all kinds of hollow signals to prevent you from continuing! This is a well-known and well-documented phenomenon.
The brain controls the biology. The biology follows the brain at a delayed pace. Technically, the biology follows the brain's hormone signals. If you are improving your brain's ability to control the muscle (as you said "my mind was getting stronger and my body itself had little to do with it") then you are already on the right track. The aim is still to exert the muscle, though. Your brain still needs to receive the signal "these muscle fibers not only worked today, but I recruited too many fibers for too much weight for too much time, so I need to send in some backup" repeatedly over the course of months/years. It takes a lot of dedication and intelligence to keep that "signal" strong which is why so many people resort to coaches and training-regimens and so forth.
In your case, it sounds like a lot of the muscle is already present in the body to perform the moves you are telling it to perform. Instead of building new muscle, your exercise routines are telling your brain to shift attention to this muscle group, and then that muscle group, but you're really only gaining a stronger connection to the muscle tissue you already have (not bad, in and of itself) instead of maxing out this muscle tissue and forcing the brain to call in reinforcements (hypertrophy). Maybe you're huffing and puffing, maybe your face is going red from all the exertion, but under the skin is what matters. If the muscle isn't getting pushed beyond its limits, it won't grow.
Your athleticism seems pretty malleable, which means your body is likelier to recruit full-body strength instead of needing to build more tissue at a specific site, holding back your muscle gains. Injured joints will prevent you from moving to higher weights, stalling your "progressive overload".
On the plus side, your athleticism seems pretty malleable, which is a great asset. It makes sense that you would breeze through crossfit without too much trouble.
Exercise is just simulation for the body. Ideally we would all be jacked from tracking animals and quarrying stone, but alas. Sounds like your simulation is too easy. Start a new save, no New Game+ bonuses, and load up on a higher difficulty. I'd recommend more time under tension via isometrics at lower weights (since you mentioned shoulder pain), like holding out a 5 pound weight for 30 seconds at various degrees, and then gradually increasing that weight to 10, then 15, over the course of several months. Building up the supporting muscles to overcome joint weaknesses will allow you to load yourself up with heavier weights and get back on the traditional "progressive overload" weightlifting regimen.
As for your tipps here... Well, I actually did just that back in November when the gyms closed again. Honestly? It did not help me much. Neither with my joint issues nor with my "muscle not growing" issues. But back then I did not have the nutrition I have now, so... Gyms can't open soon enough. Maybe I am already doing many things right again but am unable to give my body the right impulse. I mean, I only have an 18 kg kettlebell here and there is only so much you can do with this thing. I'm already doing 10x30 goblin squats each Saturday with this thing and my glutes are responding quite well to this but my upper body.... man, it's just sad. I need to move proper weight again.
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
I'm grateful I have a 27kg and 36kg kettlebell because you're right, at some point you just need the additional weight. The only suggestion I could offer there is to perform more ballistic / full-motion movements to really max out the kettlebell you have. Problem is that if your shoulder is holding you back maybe these won't be feasible, but some suggestions:
- One handed kettlebell swing. If you can already 1h swing, then upgrade it to an American swing (generate enough force to push it all the way above your head). Another excellent swing variant is the "forward snatch", where you swing, snatch it forward, and hold it in front of yourself for 5 seconds before dropping back down.
- kettlebell thrusters are probably the next step if you can already do goblin squats. Another option would be to do "slow squats" where you double or quadruple the total time you spend on each stage of the movement.
- farmer walk. Go walk a mile (or 100,000 centimeters or whatever) with it held to one side, alternating hands when it gets sore. For the benefit to your obliques and forearms, it is better to do a higher weight held in one hand than a lower weight held in two, if your shoulder can handle it. You should feel muscle activation throughout the entire "bowl" of your ribcage and supporting spinal muscles. Do these daily, shortening the distance if it makes you so sore that you can't do them the next day. If you have the shoulder stability, one-handed overhead farmer walks are a great full-body workout but should only be done short distances in a safe environment.
- kettlebell orbits. Spin the kettlebell around your body. Do NOT "hula hoop" your hips but instead use your feet/toes to maintain balance. Core should be rigid while arms move freely around the body. Increase difficulty by increasing swing momentum.
- Turkish getups. No one does "enough" of these.
Maybe you have all of these down and I'm just repeating old knowledge, but if I found myself limited to a lower kettlebell weight, then my response would be to do more and more of the moves listed above.
Raven117
Member
I think this has already been addressed, but you were working out way way too much. Remember, muscles are built when they are resting. You were blasting yourself everyday, probably not eating enough calories. Etc.Thanks for the lengthy reply. I read it all.
The thing is that, at least I think, I am doing most things right but my body just isn't following as it should. My diet is very good and clean and has been for years and my training is extremely intense. Last year during the first lockdown I was doing some crossfit training with my (then) girlfriend and let me tell you it was killer. It was so crazy that she got seizures after like 3 weeks and had to stop. I did that shit for two months straight, almost every day. I would barely be able to stand straight in the office, then go home, drink some pre workout and then do the training... But here's the thing.... While she was seeing massive progress because of the training it was doing almost nothing to me physically. I mean, my workouts got even harder as time went but my muscles weren't really growing. It was like I was training my mind and that is also where the "gains" were made. Like my mind was getting stronger and doing the heavier lifting and my body itself had little to do with it. I know this may sound incredibly stupid but this is just how it feels to me.
So what I want is to get my muscles back into the training. Your explaination gave me new thoughts and also confirms my concern about form and tension. I really hope that this will fix my problem. I feel like I already have made some strides in the right direction because my glutes seem to be growing from all the goblet squatting (I'm at 300 every Saturday now) but there is no way for me to know for sure before the gyms reopen. Fuck man, if nothing else I want my muscles to grow to support my damaged shoulder joints and ease the issues. I know the damage is there and I know it's not going away but I also know that by stronger muscles the joints are supported and the pain eased. But I can't do that right now because.... well, the fuck do I know... Like I said, I'm getting stronger but not bigger. I think everyone here can only imagine the frustration.
I think I might just have the worst possible genetics for this sport.
I think you need to full stop reevaluate your workouts and nutrition. Re align some goals.
2 months straight of CrossFit (I’m not a fan because it is super risky, but it does work), should do lots of things to your body. If it didn’t, more than likely your nutrition is off...like, way off.
Last edited:
Every time I perform a lift, I brace my entire core to ensure proper spinal alignment. It doesn't matter which exercise, I do this with every single exercise to some degree. Even walking, which is in a all the time thing, I make sure to keep proper posture and at all times and move as I should. But for your question, to give another example that I think is closer to what you're trying to figure, I will describe how I approach dumbbell chest presses. My goal has always been muscle hypertrophy just bigger muscles so my points of emphasis are a bit different in comparison to someone who wants to train for endurance, strength, or power for instance but this is how I perform the lift to strictly gain more muscle. Before I even perform one strenuous rep of course, I am warmed up properly, but for a working set, before I even perform the rep I know in my mind that a lot of mental effort must be dedicated towards focusing that I perform all the cues to perfection - every single one of them. This will allow me to work the muscles as I deliberately aim to train them, which is strictly for hypertrophy. I generate a great deal of tension in my chest before I even begin to move the dumbbells much; basically flexing hard before I even decide to push through the concentric phase of the movement. As I begin to move the weights, I further increase the tension in my muscles being used in my chest, and squeeze even harder with those muscles if that makes any sense. During the eccentric phase of the movement (lowing of the weights) I purposely slow my tempo down at least a couple of seconds, keeping it extremely controlled and steady while trying to keep as much tension as I can still within the muscles. Before I ever fully get a second's rest I am beginning the concentric phase of the second rep, slow eccentric after that, repeating. I am constantly braced throughout this entire set, all cues are being run through my mind and I constantly make adjustments throughout the set to maintain perfect form as much as I can during said set, tension produced within my muscles is high all throughout the set, and time under tension is kept very high since the goal is hypertrophy
I do the same as you with abs exercises, always contracting everything and remembering to breathe. Same with walking, except I contract everything in a much more relaxed way almost as if I am barely doing so since walking is an all day activity and it would be tiresome and detrimental to forcefully contract your abs all day. I used to do that, thinking it would lead to stronger abs. But forcefully contracting your abs and walking around with the stomach tucked in all day caused me pain near the ribs, an overworked transversus abdominus, and sometimes even it felt like I injured my abdominal muscles near the ribs
Your shoulder could have been rounded during the lift at some point(s) maybe and that could have potentially caused the pain. It could have been that you weren't gripping the kettlebell firmly enough or as tightly as you should be as well. It could be a lot of things. But in the past, those were two things that caused me trouble and some pain in the past: bad form (rounding of the shoulders slightly on some reps performed) as well as using a more relaxed grip which was a mistake several times I'm sure, in my case at least
You can gain a lot of muscle and not really be all that strong or vice versa; it's all depending on how you train. Just briefly though, TUT (time under tension) is your friend if muscle gain is what you're after. A lot of lengthy negatives or eccentric portion of each movements will help as well. Sometimes I would even set my tempo to a very taxing 7-0-2-0 or 7-0-1-0 to achieve my goals. For my triceps to grow I needed a hell of a lot of effort going into those negatives because for some reason they had a tough time growing without that kind of excessive stimuli. Maybe you need to start focusing more on negatives as well, it could be that. But usually I never sweated it, I kept time under tension well past 60 seconds most sets and that was enough to ensure growth. It's killer, but it's the way to go if you want to pack on some size / muscle. Try focusing on keeping each set you perform lasting 60-90 seconds for a while, that's sure to pack on some muscle. To reach that much time under tension (TUT) you'll no doubt be putting a lot of time into your negatives, which is supposedly going to tear down 40% more tissue than the concentric phase of a movement according to this one doctor I knew. And if that's true, then it'll equate to thicker muscle fibers. Try looking into that kind of training if you haven't already. I know with me, my arms, neck, traps, and forearms have to be absolutely massacred if I am to see any muscle gains. I worked like a fucking maniac in the gym for years to grow my chest, back, and legs towards the physique I am trying to achieve
To get a massive chest, it took a ton of grinding. So many reps of dips, constant pushups, dumbbell bench press from all angles. Sometimes I had to work solely my chest for 45-60 minutes if I wanted to see any gains. That's WITH the entire session being filled with lengthy negatives as well. I had to murder my chest with negatives in the form of negative pushups and db presses for at least 45 min every time. Until my arms wouldn't work and I knew my joints were about to fail me. Used to knock out sets after basketball. Used to perform sets during breaks. When I decided I wanted to grow my lats a great deal more around about 2013, I would perform DB rows and pullups and the negatives were just grueling. During the rows, I would sometimes shoot for 15-20 reps in a set, each with at least a 4-5 second negative. For as many sets as I could do which was usually around 6-8 sets each side. The bench and area were covered in pools of sweat, the entire bench was fucking slippery, I left the area not even being able to see straight because I was constantly straining for more and more TUT and the sweat was obliterating my eyes after 30-40 minutes of that. I built my legs with the same principles, a ton of work performed and a lot of time under tension. My warm up was typically cardio for 20-30 min, about 100-200 lunges again with a crazy amount of TUT, then I'd either perform more lunges with weights, leg press heavy, or squat. Add to that, I stayed active in basketball, walked a ton, would run a bit each week, sometimes I'd sprint if my schedule allowed for the proper amount of recovery time and I didn't have any strenuous leg workouts at least a couple of days beforehand. Same with growing the calves, it took constant tension. Used to work on those fuckers for like 15 minutes taking them straight to hell every single set. Long, grueling sets with 15-25 reps as heavy as they could comfortably move through the full ROM in a highly controlled fashion. Training for muscle gain is all about the mind muscle connection and what you bring to the table to fry your muscles into oblivion
It's all something you put together and keep shooting towards with a relentless attitude IMO, gaining muscle takes a hell of a lot of motivation and work but it basically boils down to TUT and desire how bad you want it and are willing to stay in that discomfort rep after rep set in set out, workout after workout, and finding the motivation to put everything you have into your recovery with excellent meal planning and rest and what not. Prolonged negatives, upwards to seven seconds each rep, are a game changer and should get the job done if you want to pack on muscle. Negatives + 50-90 seconds TUT each set is bound to work for most when it comes to hypertrophy
It's funny, a few months ago I actually started incorporating this into my bicep routine and have noticed pretty good results. Like you said, it's brutal though. My biceps literally feel like they are going to explode. I've had trouble getting a decent sized chest for as long as I can remember, gonna start incorporating this in as many body parts as I can.
VlaudTheImpaler
tl;dr
Helped my wife teach art at our homeschool co-op today.
MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm.
Ah, that feeling when you assert dominance in front of an entire class of teenagers when the jacked "alpha" farmboy twerp at the top of their pecking order takes you up on your offer of arm wrestling at the lunch table and you blow his gat dang mind in front of everyone as you, with a poker face, manipulate his arm and entire upper body like a noodle.
The giant smirk on his face disintegrating is something I'll take to my grave with a smile on my face. He clearly thought he'd pulled one over on me in front of everyone and was just about to score some cool points with the chicks for beating a fit-looking teacher when reality hit. "Dude! Are you a pro or something? Do you do this for a living?!" My turn. I slowly smirk into a wide grin as I pin him again... "Kinda..." Had to restore some of his pride there at the end with a little pep talk and some instruction.
Hopefully, this will inspire him and some of the other boys to stop skipping gym class whenever the bodybuilder chick comes in and makes them do conditioning work because they think they don't need...
MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm.
Ah, that feeling when you assert dominance in front of an entire class of teenagers when the jacked "alpha" farmboy twerp at the top of their pecking order takes you up on your offer of arm wrestling at the lunch table and you blow his gat dang mind in front of everyone as you, with a poker face, manipulate his arm and entire upper body like a noodle.
The giant smirk on his face disintegrating is something I'll take to my grave with a smile on my face. He clearly thought he'd pulled one over on me in front of everyone and was just about to score some cool points with the chicks for beating a fit-looking teacher when reality hit. "Dude! Are you a pro or something? Do you do this for a living?!" My turn. I slowly smirk into a wide grin as I pin him again... "Kinda..." Had to restore some of his pride there at the end with a little pep talk and some instruction.
Hopefully, this will inspire him and some of the other boys to stop skipping gym class whenever the bodybuilder chick comes in and makes them do conditioning work because they think they don't need...
Last edited:
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
Man, I really don't know any more. I've completely lost touch with what my body wants and needs. Like I said, I was doing insane crossfit training for 2-3 months, having never done it before that. A year ago I was hitting the gym twice a day with just 4 hours sleep for weeks. I've switched from eating 7 times a day to eating 1 time a day just like that. No problem. My body just does what my head tells it. Kinda neat in some regards but it makes it really hard to judge when you reached your limits.... which is quite important for this sport after all.